The Confluent Platform 7.9 release builds upon Apache Kafka 3.9, enhancing key capabilities for connecting and building trusted data products. New features include the Oracle XStream CDC Source Connector for secure and reliable streaming of change events, Confluent for VS Code for streamlined development and debugging in one place, Client-Side Field Level Encryption (CSFLE) for protecting sensitive data, and a new self-managed connector to the Connect portfolio powered by Oracle XStream technology. Additionally, Confluent Platform 7.9 offers improved security features, such as OAuth support for ksqlDB and Flink, and enhanced Confluent Control Center capabilities. The release also introduces official Confluent Node.js clients for Apache Kafka and supports KRaft mode enhancements.